Preparation method1 - Season your beef well with the salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with flour and toss around until coated.2 - Heat 2 or 3 glugs of olive oil in a large casserole type pot and fry your meat until well browned3 - Add the onion and fry for one more minute, then add celery, carrots and herbs. Cook for a further 5 minutes, then pour in your Guinness beer.4 - Add the tinned tomatoes ; bring to the boil. Stir well, then simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender.5- The sauce should be nice and thick with an intensely tasty flower. Season with salt and pepper.6 - To make the pies, preheat the oven to 190 degrees/gas mark 57 - Put the meat filling into a large baking dish or 6 ramekins.8 - Roll out pastry and place over your baking dish or ramekins, making sure it is slightly bigger than the circumference of the dish/dishes.9 - Brush the rims of your dish/dishes with beaten egg, then place the pastry on top of the dish, squashing the extra pastry on the outside of the dish to secure. Lightly score the top of the pastry in a criss-cross fashion and brush with more egg.10 - Place on a baking tray (to catch the drips) and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 45 minutes until golden and bubbling.11 - Let it cool down for ten minutes before you dig in.

Make aheadThis pie freezes well - simply assemble the pie and freeze before baking. Once you're ready to bake, simply throw it in the oven straight from the freezer.

ReceipePrepare the trifle 5 hours in advance, at least.In a round and rather deep dish - preferably a glass one/one made of glass, spread the sponge fingers on the bottom and baste with sherry.Put/set the fruit on the bottom and try to make decorations.If you can find English jelly, you will have to make it melt in boiling water. But do not forget to respect the advisable quantities - which is very important if you want to set it properly.Cover the fruit with the liquid and put your dish in the fridge for 5 hours until your jelly is properly set.Prepare your custard and let it coll down.Take a whisk and add, little by little,the tick cream. Cover your trifle and keep it in the fridge until you serve it.